My Kotonoha
by RobDaZombie
Summary: What would happen if Makoto was not such an irresponsible and unfaithful person? What if he actually took his relationship with a certain character a lot more seriously?
1. Chapter 1

Makoto Itou was a first year student at Sakakino Academy. He was of an average height and build, and his appearance was rather ordinary as well. His had short black hair, and his eyes were a light brown, often showing signs of tiredness. Makoto's uniform was the standard academy attire; a charcoal suit with a white shirt and red tie. On his feet were a pair of polished black shoes, nothing expensive, but durable enough for good walking distances. On the whole, Makoto was a typical student who did not draw any positive or negative attention towards himself.

Kotonoha Katsura was also a first year student of the same academy. She was strikingly angelic, and carried a very pure, refined air about herself. Her hair was a waterfall of indigo. Her skin was porcelain, almost as white as snow. Her eyes were sparkling amethysts, filled with innocence. Her uniform consisted of of a blazer, a white blouse, a red bow tie, a short skirt and black tights that reached midway her thighs in length. Her shoes were expensive, likely purchased from a store for higher-classed customers. There were plenty of attractive girls in Sakakino Academy, but Kotonoha's beauty was in a league of her own. Kotonoha was beauty personified.

Neither Makoto nor Kotonoha were acquainted with one another, thus were perfect strangers in this world. However, on their journey to and from the academy, they would always travel on the same train. Often, Makoto would attempt to steal as many glances in her direction. He would always be standing up, right hand held high as he grasped the white triangular handle. Kotonoha would always be seated whilst reading a novel, her eyes glued to every word on the page, her mind disconnected from reality. Every moment Makoto laid eyes upon her, he was smitten, captivated, spellbound by her appearance. She was the sparkle to his otherwise monotonous life cycle. Without her, the journey would remain bleak, colourless and empty. Her presence was a blessing.

This morning was just like every other weekday morning. Makoto's ambience would always include the low rumbling of the train, added together with the music emitting from his headphones; normally a combination of guitars, drums and vocals. A smile escaped his lips when he set his sight upon the girl he would never tire of admiring, Kotonoha Katsura. Unfortunately, something unprecedented happened that day. Whether instinctively, unconsciously or otherwise, Kotonoha glanced from her reading material. It was an action so simple, and yet it was an action Makoto failed to foresee. For a few brief seconds, the perfect strangers locked eyes. Kotonoha felt uncomfortable with herself, gasping quietly as a result. Her sudden nervousness gave Makoto enough of a clue to avert his attention elsewhere. His head darted towards the window nearby, and thankfully, Kotonoha resumed her reading, as if nothing had ever happened.

The train slowed to a standstill. After leaving the train with the rest of the passengers, Makoto turned around and faced the opposite direction. Amongst a group of students and adults, Kotonoha was rearranging all of her belongings, checking to see if she had everything ready for class. She was a fair distance away this time, and Makoto decided, now would be the perfect time to seize the opportunity. With a burst of courage, Makoto plucked out his cellphone and took a snapshot of the unsuspecting girl.

One second was all it took.

One press of the button.

One white flash.

* * *

...

Makoto pushed the door open and walked into his classroom. Although he was ten minutes early, there were still more than half of his classmates ready (or at least semi-ready) for their first lesson of the day. Upon his entry, a booming and annoying voice blared into the room.

"Good morning Makoto!" Taisuke shouted behind his desk.

Although a nice guy, Taisuke was a bit of a dunderhead when it came to most things, common sense included. He was good friends with Makoto, though there were times when Makoto wondered if he befriended him out of sympathy. Taisuke had more of a broader and taller build then Makoto. His brown eyes were usually filled with a child-like brightness, and his brown hair was of a somewhat unusual style; one side was brushed fairly neatly, but the other side appeared to be deserted, leaving more than a few untidy strands. Often, Taisuke was the sort of person who would speak first without properly thinking things through.

"Morning Taisuke," Makoto replied half-heartedly. He walked over to Taisuke's desk. "You're in a good mood today. Did your sister finally accept your confession of love?"

By fact or by rumour, Taisuke was also known to have an older sister complex. Regardless, anyone within earshot of Makoto's verbal jab could not help but snigger to themselves.

"H-Hey!" Taisuke barked, his emotions quickly changing from happy to mightily pissed off, "That was uncalled for! Isn't a guy allowed to be happy on a Monday morning!?"

There was a short pause of silence as Makoto studied his features.

"So... you're not denying it?" asked Makoto.

Taisuke placed a hand on his forehead. "Shut up! You're annoying me!"

"Sorry, sorry, I'm just joking around."

"Tch! Whatever!"

Makoto continued walking until he found his seat and desk, placed at the northern east-most point of the classroom. Most of the students behaved pretty much as he expected them to behave; tired, fed-up, grouchy, the way they would typically feel on a Monday morning. Makoto frowned a little when he sat down. The empty spot next to him should have been occupied with one of his classmates, namely Sekai Saionji. Actually, to describe her as a classmate was putting it mildly, Sekai was a good friend; a talkative, cute and altogether cheerful young lady. Her appearance alone would liven up any Monday morning, so Makoto felt kind of alone and disappointed whenever she was not around.

"Itou!" a girl nearby called out.

The voice belonged to a student named Nanami, a voice which commanded attention whenever she had something important to say. Nanami was the tallest girl in the class, certainly taller than Makoto. She had short black hair, a tomboyish personality and was rumoured to have one of the largest bust sizes in the academy. It came to no surprise that, being the captain of the basketball team, she was admired by most of the girls in the class; she would be admired by the boys too, if she did not already have a boyfriend.

"Huh? What is it?" Makoto asked, a little alarmed since he and Nanami do not converse with each other on a regular basis.

"I got a text message from Sekai," she told him, after closing her cellphone, "she has a fever, so she won't be coming in today."

Makoto's expression changed to one of sullenness. "Oh... okay, thanks for telling me."

At this time, the classroom was nearly filled with all of its students. Soon afterwards, the mathematics teacher walked in with a huff, muttering about how bad the traffic was. Once the books were open, the lesson had begun; nearly two hours of slow, agonisingly painful lecturing and studying.

* * *

...

Given the weather was an unpleasant mix of cold and drizzle, it was only understandable that the cafeteria was crowded this late morning. Even so, the amount of students inside was overbearing; queues were staggeringly long and nearly all of the tables were filled. Fortunately Makoto already prepared some food at his apartment, so he felt glad not to wait behind lines of students just to be served. Unfortunately, finding a vacant table, or even an empty seat proved to be a challenge. He narrowed his eyes and examined for any spaces to sit down. Just to the right of him was a table occupied with a single girl.

He completely ceased all purpose of movement.

She was right there, the girl known as Kotonoha Katsura. She was alone, sitting behind one of the cafeteria tables, minding her own business.

When Makoto laid his eyes on her, everybody else turned into colours of grey. The ambience, once noisy, was now rejected, replaced only with the amplified beats of Makoto's heart. Kotonoha was Makoto's sunshine, and the closer he was to her, the more unworthy he would feel. Just observing her until he would finally graduate... that was his sole objective in life...

...and yet... a tiny spark in the back of his mind told him to continue moving forward. He found himself walking towards Kotonoha...

He tripped over his own two feet, and fell face first onto the floor. The box of food he was carrying managed to spill everywhere. Reality reached his ears, as some laughter was heard throughout the cafeteria. Makoto could not believe this was happening to him; it had to be the worse scenario imaginable.

"Are you okay?"

Three words. Three soft and sweet sounding words caused Makoto to look up from the mess he had made. She was no longer eating at her table, but instead kneeling on the floor and helping him pick up the pieces.

"Ha... HAH!?" Makoto reacted.

Makoto's alarmed voice caused Kotonoha to completely freeze in shock.

"Ah, I mean... yes!" he corrected, before things got even more confusing.

In no time at all, Makoto and Kotonoha picked up everything that was dropped. The packaged food was safe, but everything else had to be discarded in the nearby waste bin. It was surreal, surreal even if this were a dream. Kotonoha, a stranger to his world, rushed towards the boy and helped him without a second thought. She even said okay when Makoto, with extreme hesitation, asked if he could join her at the table she was previously eating from.

Makoto's face was flushed with a brilliant shade of red. Of course, Makoto was well aware of his shyness; if he placed one of his hands anywhere near his face, it would have overheated within seconds. Up close, Kotonoha was even more beautiful than he had ever imagined. Up close, Makoto now acknowledged two more traits about the girl he infinitely admired. The first was an invisible one, for it was the delicate but definite smell of perfume, like a faint smell of dandelions on a fresh green meadow. The second was certainly far from invisible. Makoto noticed Kotonoha was a very well endowed girl; breasts that were so large, even supermodels would be envious of her. Makoto partially looked at his food and partially at Kotonoha, balancing the two together whilst trying to maintain what was left of his confidence.

Kotonoha did not exactly show confidence in herself. It appeared she did not adapt well with company, because the speed in which she ate her food had now decreased considerably. Her eyes were focused to the table, and it was hard to decipher what was going on through her mind.

"Um... thanks for helping me," Makoto said awkwardly, finding it very difficult to sit still, "I... I really appreciate it."

"Mm..."

Kotonoha nodded and took a mouse-sized bite of her melon flavoured bread.

"...it's okay... anyone would have done the same," she replied softly.

It was not long before the silence had consumed them, a silence that made Makoto feel more nervous with every passing second. Twenty seconds elapsed. Make conversation, Makoto thought to himself. Say anything to her, anything that would defeat this unbearable silence.

"I've never seen that kind of bread before," he tried, noting the packaging and the food belonging to Kotonoha, "did you get that from the cafeteria?"

"Ah... yeah," Kotonoha answered, much to the sheer relief of the poor boy, "there is a convience store just a short distance away from the train station. I... usually buy my food there, because most of my favourite things in the cafeteria quickly become sold out."

Makoto nodded, the gears in his head grinding at an incredibly painful rate. "I see..."

Before further awkwardness ensued, the instant sound of tray meeting table completely scared the two students out of their wits. The culprit of the said tray belonged to none other than Makoto's alleged friend, Taisuke.

"Ha! Found you at last!" Taisuke gasped dramatically, a few beads of sweat dropping from his forehead, "Honestly! Once this place gets crowded it feels like a maze!"

"T-Taisuke!? What are you doing here!?" shouted a still startled Makoto. Kotonoha was more than a little alarmed as well.

"Eh? What's the problem?" Taisuke complained, "Aren't I allowed to eat with my friend?"

Makoto lowered his voice as his eyes shifted to the opposite side. "Um, no, that's not what I meant..."

Taisuke's tray consisted of a solo plate, filled with an ungodly pile of spicy beef curry. The heat and smell of the food completely overpowered the flowery fragrance belonging to Kotonoha; heck, it was potent enough to wilt a field of flowers. Spoon in hand, Taisuke was about to scoop the top of his meat and rice mountain, when his eyes made contact with the girl in front of him. It took his brain a while to decipher all of the facts and the figures.

Cute girl. Cute girl he had never seen before. Cute girl he had never seen before, and was sitting in front of him.

"Uwah! Where did you come from!?" Taisuke stumbled from his lips.

"What do you mean 'where did she come from'!?" Makoto replied loudly, "She's been here all this time!"

Barely recovering from Taisuke's unceremonious appearance, Kotonoha decided to introduce herself, in order to clear up the heavily confused air between her and the two boys. "I'm Kotonoha Katsura. Pl-Pleased to meet you."

"Katsura-san," Taisuke repeated. He smiled, which soon followed with a silly grin. "I'm Taisuke, but my friends call me-"

"The Moron," Makoto interrupted.

"How rude!" Taisuke shouted.

Kotonoha delicately covered her mouth with one hand. She giggled quietly to herself, quiet enough not to let anyone hear her.

"But accurate," Makoto continued the argument, "all of your friends call you a moron, and I dread to think what they call you behind your back."

"That's... really mean," sniffled Taisuke, wiping away a tear.

Makoto then felt his whole body becoming cold. He knew her name; Kotonoha Katsura was her name... but he had not told her his own name yet! He quickly rose from his seat and stood straight to attention.

"I, I-I-I'm Makoto Itou! Pleased to meet you!" he introduced, bowing once before returning to his chair.

Taisuke scrunched his eyebrows together. "Eh? What's gotten into you?" he asked.

"Shut up!" muttered Makoto, and started munching on what was left of his food.

Kotonoha looked at the two boys arguing. Despite the awkwardness, the craziness and the calamity, a tiny smile escaped from her lips.

"Itou... kun," she said to herself, her voice a fragment of a whisper.

* * *

...

When the first break was over, the students returned to their respective classrooms. Makoto spent all of the next lesson with his head hung low, casting aside the teacher's lecturing in favour for his own depressing thoughts.

"_That was the worst," _Makoto thought to himself, _"I can't believe I just approached her like that. She probably thinks I'm a complete idiot, a total weirdo. Why did I do that? Why did I walk towards her...?"_

Makoto wished he could turn back the clock. He was fine just observing her, the invisible man watching over the angel. Now that Kotonoha knew him, albeit vaguely, Makoto felt as though his fantasy, his dream, was shattered. Shattered and unrepairable.

* * *

...

Filled with depression and fatigue, Makoto struggled to keep up with the rest of the day; the lessons, the lunch break and the outdoor sports all accumulated into one lifeless Monday. Even during lunch break, he ate his food in the classroom, ashamed of the embarrassment he caused himself and Kotonoha at the cafeteria. His condition did not improve, even when the last lesson of the day was finally finished; he just wanted to go back to his apartment and sleep the rest of his existence away.

He thought about his friend Sekai for a brief moment; if she was present then she would certainly try and cheer him up. He shook his head slowly, discarding this simple thought away. Even if Sekai were here, it was doubtful that even she could do anything to help him. Not even a miracle could lift his spirits today.

Before he left school, Makoto opened his locker door to retrieve some of his belongings. Everyone in his class had long since disappeared. Some minutes ago, he vaguely heard Nanami and a few other girls talking about the new burger meal in a restaurant they frequently visit, as well as a few other uninteresting topics from a couple of other classmates. At this late time, very few students remained in school, proof that Makoto's mind and body were both plodding at a grudgingly slow pace.

He was about to close the locker door when his eyes properly focused on what appeared to be a thin, rectangular material, slightly poking out from underneath a couple of his textbooks. Heart thumping with curiosity, he carefully pulled the mysterious item out from the books and into his grasp. His curiosity was confirmed, once and for all.

It was an envelope; tall and thin, and coloured with a summery shade of pink. The back of the envelope was sealed with a red, heart-shaped sticker. Makoto flipped it over. The face of the envelope showed his own full name in neat and tidy handwriting.

Holding his breath, he peeled off the sticker and opened the envelope. He was rewarded with a concisely written letter.

_Please meet me at the train station._

Makoto looked at the ceiling for a moment, unconsciously placing the letter and envelope into his trouser pocket. Love letters were certainly more popular in his kindergarten and junior high school years. He remembered when he was fourteen, and one of his classmates constantly bragged about his popularity, due to the large amount of love letters he received. At that age, Makoto never really cared about the opposite gender; he had his own group of friends, and some of those friends were girls, but he never saw those girls as love interests. He was neither popular, nor looked upon as a loser. Makoto was just... there. Minding his own business. Doing things. Enjoying life.

To receive these kind of letters at a high school was considered highly unlikely, borderline impossible. When they reached a certain age, if someone liked someone else, they would try to pluck up whatever courage they had and simply ask them out. To send a love letter at high school was considered... laughable.

Makoto's face suddenly distorted sourly. He should have realised it sooner; how stupid could he have been? It had to be a joke, a hoax, a silly childish prank from one of his classmates. Taisuke sprung to mind as a highly likely candidate; it was probably revenge from being mocked by Makoto in the cafeteria. If that were the case, Makoto would have to personality return the letter by cramming it inside Taisuke's big fat mouth. On the other hand, it could be from one of the girls from his class; a handful of them had a mischievous personality, so that too was a possibility.

"It has to be Taisuke," Makoto muttered, "that rotten bastard. Toying with other people's emotions is just below the belt."

* * *

...

Makoto left Sakakino Academy and was welcomed with cold, drizzly rain; the weather had not improved much since the beginning of the day. Normally never a fan of this dreary weather, Makoto found it somewhat refreshing this time, a welcome relief after being stuffed inside the school for so long. The elements in the sky also washed away some of his anxiety, so in a weird sort of way, the rain actually turned out to be a small gift from the heavens.

Makoto hastily made his way towards the train station, knowing the next train would not take long to arrive. There was not a lot of students waiting around at this time, probably because most of them had already taken the earlier train; it was amazing what a difference fifteen minutes makes.

Thinking about sitting on a vacant bench, Makoto unconsciously looked around the station. Amongst a spread cluster of people stood a girl dressed in the Sakakino Academy uniform. She stood alone, her head glancing left and right, as if... waiting for a certain somebody to show up...

...and then her eyes met his.

"Itou-kun," she whispered.

Makoto stopped in his tracks. Kotonoha was ten steps away from where he stood. Mentally, he cleared all of the other people away, far, far away. Just the sight of Kotonoha tugged all of the strings attached to his heart. Before he could comprehend the situation, he found himself walking towards her. Why was he walking towards her again, he mentally told himself. Why was he walking closer towards such a beautiful girl? That, he did not know, but despite his hesitation, despite all of the thoughts wondering through his mind... he approached Kotonoha Katsura.

Never had he stood so close to her before.

"Katsura... um... h-hi," he greeted.

"Good... good afternoon," she replied, shyly and softly.

Again, the nervousness took hold of Makoto, much like it when he visited her at the cafeteria.

"Are you waiting for the train as well?" he added.

Kotonoha looked at her feet, a rosy hue visible on her cheeks. "Yes... well... I am... but I was also waiting for..."

After trailing off in her conversation, Makoto noticed she was rubbing one of her feet with the other, a behaviour similar to a child confessing to doing something naughty. Kotonoha took a deep breath and tried talking again.

"...did you receive my letter?" she asked.

"Letter?" Makoto said.

The rhythmic beat of his heart doubled in strength and in speed. That letter. That letter concealed with a pink envelope and sealed together with a heart, sealed with her heart. The devil inside his head still wondered if this was a joke, but when Kotonoha soaked her eyes towards his, her whole expression showed sincerity. Makoto could just... feel it... Kotonoha Katsura was utterly incapable of lying.

"That... that letter was from you!?" he added, beginning to overflow with every emotion imaginable.

Kotonoha nodded. She swallowed a lump in her throat. She suddenly clasped her hands around his own.

"Itou-kun! I like you! Please go out with me!"

Makoto's throat quickly seized up, shocked as he was. Kotonoha, the one he infinitely admired... confessed to him.

"Y... Y-Yes!" he squeaked out.

Kotonoha flinched, wondering if the God of Mice had taken over his voice box. With his face now an entire crimson, Makoto cleared his throat and tried again.

"Yes! Of course I will!"

She gasped, covering both hands over her mouth to suppress her feelings. This proved impossible as she started to tremble, eyes brimming with tears. Seeing this, Makoto offered her a handkerchief, to which Kotonoha nervously accepted; a gift from him to her.

The weather ceased its rain. The clouds slowly separated, eventually revealing the sun in all of its glory. Strange. According to this morning's weather forecast, there would be no sign of the sun at all this afternoon.

"To tell the truth... I really like you too," Makoto said, slowly beginning to feel calmer, despite the redness all over his face. His shoulders dropped, as though a massive weight had been lifted from them, "I always see you everyday on the train... and every time I look at you, it feels like all my problems are washed away. You're the sort of girl I really wanted to go out with... but I was afraid I would be rejected. So... you can imagine my surprise when you ended up confessing to me instead... heh, I'm still surprised even now."

"Itou-kun..." Kotonoha wept, dabbing the tears with Makoto's handkerchief. "You... (hic) had feelings for me too? I'm... (sniff)... I'm really happy."

The train station was a lot quieter than it once was.

When the two Sakakino students looked around the vicinity, they noticed just a few people around, minding their own business. Makoto briefly checked the time on his wristwatch; a sweat-drop appeared behind his head when he realised how late it was.

"I think we missed the train," he said.

"S-Sorry," Kotonoha apologised, feeling a little sheepish.

Makoto shrugged, smiling.

"I... guess we better wait for the next one then."

**End of Chapter One: Love Letter**

* * *

**Author**: As you can expect from the title, this story is more dedicated towards Makoto and Kotonoha, with a few twists and turns that you won't see from the game, anime or manga. Hope you enjoyed reading the opening chapter, and I hope you look forward to the second.

~Rdz

**Disclaimer**: I do not own School Days or any of its characters.


	2. Chapter 2

He waited with baited breath, nearby the large oak tree at the main park. The allotted time and day for their first date was half-eleven, Saturday, but he decided to play it safe and arrive half an hour earlier. He checked his watch, which showed the time of six minutes past eleven, but then recalled his watch was four minutes fast, so the proper time would be two minutes past instead. That would leave twenty eight minutes until Kotonoha arrived... assuming she would be on time, and not earlier or later.

He straightened his clothes, and later wondered if his wardrobe was suitable for their date. He was wearing white trainers, a pair of navy jeans, and worn over a thin-material black jumper was his favourite maroon short-sleeved shirt; a present from his mother one year ago, and he has only worn it five times since.

Next he patted certain areas on his head, making sure there were no visible strands poking out; the last thing he wanted was a blatant aerial rising from the middle. He then rummaged through his jean pockets, in which his cellphone, wallet, and his money inside the wallet were all safely secure. Clothes, check. Hair, check. Money, check. Time... he glanced at his watch again. Twenty five minutes remaining.

Almost certain he was at least adequately presentable, Makoto fished out his cellphone and flicked it open. The still image of Kotonoha Katsura was displayed to him, standing at the train station with a faraway look on her features. Closing his eyes, he snapped the phone shut and took a deep breath.

"This is my first date," he quietly told himself, "I have to make a good impression, or else she might change her mind about liking me."

His free hand clenched into a fist. He nodded slowly, inhaling a small air of confidence.

"All right... believe in yourself. You can do this."

"Itou-kun?"

Quick as a flash, Makoto's confidence was vanquished, replaced with a cold panic which attacked him from head to toe. His cellphone morphed into a hot potato; he tossed it around three times in the air before managing to grab it. Already flustered and freaked out, Makoto spun half-circle, facing the source of the reserved and concerned voice.

The picture on Makoto's cellphone did not do the girl in real life any justice at all.

Kotonoha's presence immediately seized his attention, whisking his mind to an uncharted slice of heaven. Before he arrived at the park, Makoto wondered what Kotonoha would be wearing on the date. In all honesty, this thought had been in the back of his mind for the past couple of days...

Kotonoha wore a strapped floral dress, which ceased an inch above her knees. The dress was cyan in colour, elegantly patterned with lots of miniature red roses. She also wore short white socks and girly blue shoes, each one complimented with a tiny red bow. Although the clothing revealed plenty of skin, it was modest enough not to show a lot of cleavage, much to the gratitude of Makoto's already fast-beating heart. In addition to her wardrobe, Kotonoha carried on her right shoulder a small, cream coloured handbag, complete with all of her financial essentials inside. She also held a moderately sized box, covered with a velvet cloth.

Makoto was awestruck, his gaze lost in all her entirety.

"Are you okay?" Kotonoha asked, her head tilting slightly in concern.

The boy swallowed hard. There were numerous words, words upon words in which to describe the heavenly sight in front of him: wonderful, beautiful, amazing, attractive, dazzling, cute, awesome...

"You... Y-You look awesome!" he praised, standing to attention with a voice louder than intended.

Kotonoha's reply did not come with words, only with her eyes, which widened in bewilderment. Makoto inwardly cursed himself. Given the scenario, 'awesome' was definitely the most childishly retarded thing to ever escape from his mouth. She eventually made a sideways glance and blushed, whilst Makoto still looked like he was struck by the stupidity virus.

"Th-Thanks," she replied uneasily, "You... look nice too."

* * *

…

Since the park was their official meeting place, it only felt natural to begin their date exploring all of the various flowers and other attractions the gardens had on show. Makoto remembered visiting the park a few times when he was a lot younger. His mother would always drag him there, and he would always be bored silly, for it was hardly a substitute for arcade games and action figures. Now in his mid-teens, Makoto developed a slightly different outlook in life. There was a certain tranquillity in venturing the park, and not a soul was present, making the atmosphere even more pleasant between the two of them.

Makoto then remembered about the box Kotonoha was carrying. A day before the date, Kotonoha asked him if it was okay to bring a bento, to which Makoto answered with a confident yes; one would have to be delusional to refuse such a generous offer. The boy even skipped breakfast this morning, knowing her food will taste even better on an empty stomach. Thinking about the food caused Makoto's stomach to rumble, the noise obvious enough for the two of them to stop awkwardly.

"Um, would you like something to eat?" Kotonoha asked.

Makoto nodded, a goofy grin plastered all over his face. "Mm! If that's okay with you!"

With a mixture of nervousness and excitement, Makoto sat on a wooden bench next to his date. Kotonoha carefully unwrapped the velvet cloth and gently removed the lid. The bento was separated into three vertical sections. Displayed on the left were triangular, wholemeal sandwiches, with a generous assortment of flavours. Shown in the middle were numerous sausages shaped into octopi, a necessity for any traditional bento. Lastly, the rightmost section contained an omelette, which was divided into bite-sized cubes. It was all very elaborately presented.

"Please... help yourself," Kotonoha said with a nervous eyesmile. A part of her wanted to feed Makoto herself, but just thinking about such an embarrassing scenario made her resist.

Makoto's chopsticks wavered left and right, like a claw of a UFO catcher in an arcade, uncertain of which prize to claim. Kotonoha observed his hand carefully; which one was he going to choose first, she thought to herself. His hand at last descended and retrieved a small cube-shaped omelette. Kotonoha's very own home made cooking, Makoto wondered to himself, resisting the urge to flood ecstatic tears.

"I-Itadakimasu!" he said, and took a good sized bite out of the omelette.

A cascade of welcoming flavours entered his mouth, tantalising his taste buds and deeply satisfying the depths of his ever grateful stomach. The taste rendered Makoto into a glorious nirvana. Not even the gods themselves could create an omelette as spectacular as this one. Kotonoha's home made cooking was as wonderful as Kotonoha herself...

...at least... that is what Makoto desperately wanted to believe.

What his taste buds truly received was something quite unexpected. When he chomped into the piece of omelette, his teeth were introduced to a less than sanctifying crunch. Makoto was far from genius material, but it did not take one with great intellect to realise multiple eggshells were embedded inside. Makoto might have overlooked this tiny mishap if the food itself was reasonably tasty. Sadly, that was not the case. The taste was borderline flavourless, and what little flavour was left did not serve as a satisfying experience.

"How is it?" Kotonoha asked, in a very-hopeful-cute-bunny-rabbit type of manner.

Makoto struggled in finding an answer. He knew Kotonoha was as delicate as a butterfly soufflé, and any kind of harsh critique might reduce her into a defeated puddle of despair.

"It has an... interesting texture," he summarised.

Before the situation took a turn for the worse, Makoto promptly cleared his throat and tried something else. A sausage octopus was nestled between the chopsticks. Perhaps more than a bit daring, Makoto ate the whole sausage in one go. His face turned green. The meat was severely undercooked. His face then turned red. When Kotonoha was preparing the sausages, she got the ordinary pork sausages somehow mixed up with the extra hot spicy ones... unless she was intentionally trying to murder him. Not being a fan of extra hot spicy food, Makoto's face imploded, his cheeks puffed out in a disturbing yet comical manner.

"Itou-kun! Are you okay!?" Kotonoha panicked.

"Mm!" Makoto answered, determined to see Kotonoha's lunch through to the bitter end. "Ha ha! The taste was just so... so amazing that it completely caught me offguard!"

Placing the chopsticks to one side, Makoto picked up a sandwich. He smiled and began to relax. Two slices of thin bread with cheese and cucumber inside the middle; a simple execution and safe to eat. He took a bite out of the triangular goodness.

…

…

…

"Itou-kun! Your face! It's pale!" Kotonoha cried out.

Makoto wheezed forward and repeatedly banged his chest, trying to dislodge whatever the hell he was sampling.

"Bodily functions... not functioning," he rasped.

* * *

…

Leaving the park and entering the more civic locations in Sakakino, the new couple opted to find a suitable place to order their lunch instead. However, Kotonoha felt Makoto had let her off the hook too easily, and decided a proper, formal apology was in order.

"I'm really very sorry!" Kotonoha said, bowing with utmost sincerity, "I have been nothing but an inconvenience, haven't I?"

Makoto waved his hands to assure it was no big deal; at this stage, he had lost count how many times the word 'sorry' was spoken from her lips. "It's okay, you don't have to apologise! To be fair, it was a valiant attempt for your first try!"

Kotonoha rose from her bowed position. "But there were eggshells in the omelette!"

"Well... mistakes do happen!"

"The sausages were undercooked!"

"Just keep practising and you'll do fine!"

"I can't even make sandwiches properly!"

Makoto's eyes glanced to the right. He remembered making sandwiches when he was six and even they turned out edible.

"Let's find somewhere to eat," he changed the subject, putting on a hopeful smile.

Whilst there was a wide assortment of restaurants and cafés in the city, finding one that was suitable for Kotonoha was going to be a challenge; her 'nervous princess' persona suggested she was not a fan of any modern-age fast food outlets. Somewhere fancy, Makoto thought to himself, somewhere that had a touch of class...

* * *

…

The waitress bowed in an apologetic manner.

"I'm sorry sir but we are fully booked for the day."

Makoto sighed. That was the sixth restaurant he and Kotonoha tried getting into.

"That's okay, we'll try somewhere else," Makoto replied.

When the waitress left, Makoto began to show signs of frustration. He was with Kotonoha, the most beautiful girl on the planet, and he was randomly walking around with her like a mindless lemming.

"_Stay calm," _he tried to relax, _"this city is pretty large. There's bound to be a place we haven't visited somewhere..."_

After some walking, Kotonoha pointed to a cute looking café. It was coloured in shades of white and pink, and was known for its amazing array of cakes and sandwiches.

"How about here?" she suggested.

Makoto grabbed her by the wrist and continued moving at a more forceful rate.

"No."

Kotonoha felt frightened, noting the immediate change in Makoto's personality; he was serious and almost... angry.

Makoto did not stop moving until he was positive they were a good distance away from that café place. Realisation and guilt struck him in the gut. He had never held Kotonoha before, especially with such intensity and aggression. He released the hold quickly. Unsurprisingly, Kotonoha winced as she rubbed her sore wrist.

"What... what was that for?" she asked, shaken and confused.

"Sorry," Makoto muttered, feeling downcast and trodden, "It's just that..."

He looked at her eyes. Try as he might, Makoto just found it impossible to lie to her. He closed his eyes for a moment. No. He would never say any falsehoods to her as long as he lived.

"One of my classmates work there," he answered, albeit uneasily, "we don't really get along, and if she finds out about us, then... she might spread the news throughout the whole school."

Kotonoha swallowed as she digested the information. Since the beginning of the week, she and Makoto have been very secretive about seeing each other. Uncomfortable with their own feelings, neither of them wanted to have the whole school watching their every move. To be on top of the 'student gossiping' ladder was the last thing they wanted.

"I see..." she said quietly, "I didn't know. Sorry."

"Wait, no it's my fault," Makoto insisted, "I shouldn't have grabbed you like that."

"... ...it's okay," Kotonoha whispered.

* * *

…

They stood together, side by side, in front of a bright red door. They could both hear the muffled ambience inside; the sound of an unfamiliar theme song, combined with lots of lively noises from customers. In unison, their heads looked at the wacky sign which read: 'Cosplay Chicken Wing'. A deep frown entered Makoto's features. Practically every restaurant and café he visited were already full, so the alternatives were to go inside or just purchase some food from a convenience store.

"Shall we go in?" he asked carefully, not sure if he wanted to venture inside himself.

Kotonoha wore a courageous eyesmile. From her kindergarten years to her present age, her parents have never taken her out to these type of restaurants.

"S-Sure," she slowly answered.

Praying to whatever deity was high above the clouds, Makoto pushed the door open, the full volume of the song bursting into their ears. Three cautious steps forward, and they were greeted by an overly energetic young girl. She was heavily tanned, with sandy blonde hair tied into a ponytail. She was made additionally cute with her pink and yellow waitress outfit, as well as pink shoes and yellow tights.

"Hiya!" she greeted the pair, with a zany, full frontal double wave, "You two are really lucky, 'cos we got just one table left!"

"_Define lucky," _Makoto thought.

The spunky young waitress guided the pair into the vibrant heart of the restaurant. Actually... it was not so much guided as it was pushing the two forward as though they were inanimate objects.

Makoto and Kotonoha looked around the room. The walls and floors were both patterned with large tiled-squares of red and white. The tables and chairs were a bright red, and just like the girl had told them, all but one table were fully occupied. The music, which had a rather fast tempo, was a little too loud for their tastes; one would have to raise their own voice just to make themselves heard. The restaurant mostly contained customers who were black belts in the art of otaku. Some of them gave the newest customers weird looks, almost as though happy couples did not belong in such a place. Most of them however, were too busy being mesmerised with the attractive waitresses and their outfits.

They were taken to their table, which was slap-dab in the centre of the room. So much for a table with a nice window view; it was quite literally take it or leave it. Despite the music, Makoto managed to hear voices from a couple of customers, stating the girl in the dress was really cute, and the guy with her must be seriously lucky. Makoto sighed through his nose. Just what he wanted; unwanted attention.

Fortunately, the new customers did not have to wait long. They were only a few minutes on their seat before a buxom-filled waitress danced into their view; she had chocolaty wavy hair and a bright blossoming smile.

"Good afternoon love-birds!" she chirped, in a singsong sort of voice. Hearing the words love-birds caused the couple to shrink. "Welcome to Cosplay Chicken Wing! Would you like to order a drink?"

They were each handed a small drinks menu; nothing elaborate, just a blue rectangular card with all the available drinks and their prices. Still trying to get acquainted with the atmosphere, Kotonoha examined the menu. She seemed mildly disappointed. The selection was rather unambitious, and was missing two of her favourite drinks: elderflower cordial and sparkling pomegranate.

"Ah, I'll have the lemonade please!" Makoto said, raising his voice.

"A good choice sir!" the waitress replied. She looked at Kotonoha, who was currently undecided. "And what would you like madam?"

"Ah... um... I'll have the same!" she answered, remembering to raise her voice as well. She always felt uncomfortable raising her voice, but was forced to adapt given the ambience.

"Wonderful!" announced the waitress, "You will both have your drinks in no time at all!"

Once the waitress left their table, Makoto was stricken with a familiar awkwardness. It was the same awkwardness he felt when he sat opposite her in the school cafeteria, perhaps even more so due to the circumstances. Makoto was about to talk, an attempt to break the ice, when another voice abruptly cut him off.

"Good afternoon," another waitress greeted. She turned to face Kotonoha, "may I take your food order?"

The second waitress was a tall teenager who had long, straight black hair. She was polite, but carried a more straightforward and refined aura.

Makoto and Kotonoha realised, on the flip side of the drinks menu, showed all of the available meals to choose from: deluxe chicken burger with fries, chicken nuggets with fries, chicken wings with fries and chicken breast with fries. Anyone who did not like chicken was surely unwanted in this restaurant.

"_This is a really limited selection," _Makoto thought with gritted teeth. Judging from her features, Kotonoha was thinking the same as well.

"I... I'll take the chicken nuggets and fries," Kotonoha decided.

The waitress nodded and jotted down the request on her notebook. She then faced Makoto, and her personality suddenly changed into a cold and frightening one.

"And what the hell do you want?" she muttered.

Makoto was taken back by her verbal venom. "E-Eeeh!?

"Worthless male!" the girl shouted, "Must I repeat myself!? What would you like to eat!?"

Makoto looked at the food list with shaky hands. "I-I'll take the deluxe chicken burger and fries please!"

The waitress huffed before taking the menus away. "Honestly, what does that girl see in this man?" she grumbled, striding off to another table.

"What's her problem?" Makoto complained, "Why was she upset with me?"

"I... think it might be her character," Kotonoha explained, though she was not entirely sure.

Makoto nodded slowly. "Oh... right, this is a cosplay restaurant, isn't it?"

There was an unholy crash as the sound of an extremely large glass introduced itself to the centre of the table, completely shocking the two out of their shells.

"Here's your drink! Enjoy!" said the busty, bubbly waitress.

The drink was a big as a bucket, nearly filled entirely with sparkling lemonade. Two transparent red straws were floating from the top of it, each straw having more twists and loop-the-loops than a death defying roller-coaster.

"H-Hey! We didn't order this!" Makoto complained again, but his words fell on deaf ears.

Makoto watched the leaving form of the waitress with sheer bewilderment. He seriously regretted ever coming here; the staff were weird and neither of them received the drinks they ordered. If he was not so hungry and thirsty, then he would have left this place in a flash by now.

Despite the overwhelming ambience, Makoto's ears managed to pick up a soft, delicate sound of lips meeting a straw. He looked at the glass, sparks dancing from the top of the lemonade. He arched his head a little. Kotonoha, with closed eyes, took her time as she sipped through a small fraction of the drink. Finding courage within himself, Makoto drank from his straw as well. Heavy blushes were shown on their faces.

It did not take too long before their meals were presented to them, by the scary, man-hating waitress no less. Despite the simplicity of the food, the taste of the chicken was succulent and more importantly, filled that gaping hole of hunger. With quick thinking on his behalf, Makoto decided to use the cutlery for his burger instead of his hands. The burger had at least half a dozen sauces inside, and if some of that sauce splashed onto his clothes, or worse, on Kotonoha's dress, then there would be severely embarrassing consequences.

Makoto was about to make conversation regarding the taste of the food, when a guy nearby wearing rectangular spectacles tripped over and fell on a waitress, managing to grope one of her breasts upon collision. The guy sat up and apologised profusely to her, but the waitress, a girl with long, auburn hair, retaliated by socking him in the jaw, sending him straight into a wall. Makoto and Kotonoha watched the scene unfold with utmost horror etched onto their faces. However, the rest of the customers applauded and cheered, some even whistling at the scenario laid out before them. It was only then, that the couple realised, that it was all just an act. They exchanged very nervous eyesmiles before resuming eating their meals.

* * *

…

"I'm very sorry!" Makoto cried out. He and Kotonoha were just outside the restaurant, and he was bowing apologetically for the umpteenth time.

"It's okay!" Kotonoha quickly replied, though one could tell she was still shaky from the crazy turn of events. "It was just... a different experience."

Ever grateful she forgave him so easily, Makoto stood straight and retained some of his normality. "To be honest, it was my first time at a cosplay restaurant... and it will definitely be my last..."

Kotonoha giggled, covering her lips with her fingers. "Ufufu... mine too. I admit it was a bit noisy, but the meal was very delicious!"

"Mm, it certainly was tasty," Makoto agreed. His smile turned into a faint frown, "The whole drink with the straws was a little over the top though,"

The lavender haired girl glanced to one side, never imagining Makoto would ever talk about that. "Um... yeah..."

"So... where would you like to go next?"

Kotonoha slightly lowered her head. "I don't mind really..."

Her voice became a whisper, so much that only she could hear herself.

"_...so long as your around, anywhere is fine..."_

Full of food and satisfied, Makoto and Kotonoha explored more of Sakakino, occasionally weaving past the citizens of the city. Makoto's mind attempted to keep up with his walking pace, as he tried to think about what Kotonoha's interests were. With all of the available places to choose from, where would she enjoy visiting the most? He stopped and then took a few backward steps.

He looked across the road. The answer was lying right in front of him.

* * *

…

The bookstore was spacious and held a wide variety of literature, all of which were very reasonably priced. It was a warm and cosy environment, with a classical soundtrack faintly blending into the background. Even the colours were soothing to look at; pastel shades of blue and indigo. Ultimately, the store was a haven for anyone who enjoyed reading as a hobby.

As they stepped inside, no one could take away the geniune smile belonging to Kotonoha Katsura, and furthermore, she was excited. Seeing Kotonoha happily delve deeper into the store put a smile on Makoto's face as well. Knowing Kotonoha was a keen reader on the train, it was only logical she would be interested in these type of places. Sure enough, Makoto was on the money with his choice, and Kotonoha's wonderful smile was his reward.

Since the two of them were separated for the time being, Makoto decided to take the opportunity to have a look around. There was a manga section which he unconsciously browsed through. Some of the titles reminded Makoto of his childhood; he was amazed that some of these titles were still in continuation after all of these years. One in particular gave him quite the surprise. The manga was labelled 'Megachick', and it was the sixth volume out of its finished collection of twelve. When he was younger, Makoto was a die-hard fan of this female character, scantly clad in futuristic pink armour. He managed to obtain the whole collection, with the exception of this one; this was the missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle.

He reached out to grab it, but quickly withdrew his hand, as though the book itself was encased by an invisible coat of ice. What would Kotonoha say if she spotted him carrying such an unholy object of male lust? More likely, it was a case of what Kotonoha would _not _say. If she found out the truth, she would remain speechless for the rest of the date. On the other hand, this title was no mere, ordinary reading material. Megachick Volume Six was his childhood revisited.

"_Grab it, buy it, hide it," _were the thoughts running through Makoto. If he could conceal the golden chalice within his clothes, then hopefully that should not prove too much of a problem.

He swiped the manga and briskly walked towards the checkout; five steps forward, turn right, ten steps forward, goal.

He was unaware that Kotonoha was walking the opposite direction.

They bumped heads, and simultaneously dropped their books.

They knelt down to retrieve their titles. Unfortunately, Kotonoha feasted her eyes on the fallen copy of Megachick: the cyborg honey fighting for truth and justice. She gave Makoto perhaps the most nervous eyesmile known to humankind, and Makoto just wished he could roll onto the floor and die. This intention was put on hold however, for Makoto also had the opportunity to see what kind of book held Kotonoha's interest.

He could scarcely believe the sight in front of him.

On the front cover was a grotesque, terrifying zombie, her hair a crimson blaze of fire. It was titled 'Blazing Zombie Wizards from the Volcano'. Kotonoha covered her mouth in shock when she realised her hidden secret was widely exposed as well.

"Ah... so you like... horror novels?" Makoto asked, stating the painfully obvious.

"Mm," Kotonoha nodded awkwardly, "and... um, you like reading... hentai."

The boy turned into a furious red, waving his hands about in protest. "Eh!? N-No! It's not one of those! I admit there are a couple of... (ahem) perverse scenes, but it's definitely not a hentai!"

This comment made more than a few heads turn in their direction.

"I see," Kotonoha whispered.

Despite the uncomfortable situation, the two of them could not help but laugh quietly to themselves. It was a bizarre sense of relief, and finding out their secrets somehow managed to bring them a little closer.

"If you like... I can buy that book for you if you want," the Megachick fan suggested, scratching the back of his head as he fumbled for the right thing to say.

Kotonoha blushed mildly. "Well... okay... but only on one condition..."

"One condition?" Makoto asked.

The girl nodded.

"Mm. I'll let you buy this book for me... if I can buy that book for you..."

* * *

…

With their newly purchased copies safely stored inside paper bags, Makoto and Kotonoha spent the remainder of the early afternoon checking out some of the smaller stores Sakakino had to offer. They even visited a few market stalls, one of which specialised in selling phone charms as well as other vibrant trinkets. Even though Kotonoha politely declined many times, Makoto was persistent in treating her to something. In the end, the girl surrendered, allowing him to buy her a phone charm of a 'menacing' chibi-scarecrow armed with a scythe. The monster looked more cute than it did scary, but Kotonoha seemed to really like the gift. She smiled warmly to herself; now she had two presents to commemorate her first date.

Afterwards, the two of them bought an ice cream at a nearby dessert stall; nothing too heavy since their meals at Cosplay Chicken Wing have not properly settled down. It was only then, when they realised, the couple had returned to the park and gardens; a full circle of mishap, wonder and exploration. They sat on a bench to finish off their ice cream; Makoto enjoying his mint and chocolate chip, and Kotonoha satisfied with her flavour of strawberry. Not much was said between them, but for once, Makoto actually felt quite content with the silence. In the end, things turned out better than he predicted, but more importantly, did Kotonoha enjoy herself as well?

He glanced in her direction, her small tongue lapping up the dessert like an innocent little puppy. She certainly appeared happy, that much was certain.

Eating what was left of his ice cream, Makoto covered his mouth to suppress a mighty yawn. Since he and Kotonoha spent most of the time walking, it was only natural he would feel a touch on the sleepy side...

…

…

…

…

…

Blends of orange and yellow covered his vision; a hybrid of consciousness and tranquillity, with neither side dominating the other. A rogue gust of cold wind sailed past him, releasing the boy from his sublime surreality. He came to his senses when he noticed the sky was a deeper blue, and the sounds of wildlife had long since disappeared. He drew a deep, sharp breath of air, and exhaled an icy gasp of mist.

Realisation became fear. He checked his watch, and was flabbergasted at the number of hours that flew by. He was about to remove himself from the bench, but stopped when he realised a gentle weight was pressed on his shoulder. Kotonoha was leaning right onto him. She was sleeping peacefully, and looked as though she could still sleep for another hour, despite the drop in temperature.

Makoto wished he could remain in this position forever, watching her closed eyes, and listening to the soothing whispers escaping from her petit lips. With great reluctance, he gently shook her awake. She finally stirred, and when she came to, her first vision was Makoto smiling. Kotonoha panicked and grabbed all of her belongings.

"Oh my gosh! Ah... AAH! Itou-kun! Omigosh I'm so sorry!"

Makoto chuckled, feeling pretty guilty himself. "It's alright. I only woke up shortly before you did."

"Oh..." Kotonoha replied, though she still felt disappointed.

"We... better get the train," Makoto concluded.

Kotonoha agreed. Gathering their bearings and necessities, they both left the park and made their way for the train station. Time had passed by so quickly.

* * *

…

With the train fairly crowded, Makoto and Kotonoha were forced to stand up together, the handles the only objects preventing them from colliding. Despite the stuffy atmosphere, the air around everyone was thick with silence, making quite the eerie finish for their date.

A gentle touch on Makoto's arm was Kotonoha's way of telling him this would be her next stop. Soon afterwards, the train slowed to a standstill, and a dozen or so people emotionlessly spilled out to their station. Kotonoha was the last to disembark. When her feet left the train, she turned to face Makoto with a cute smile.

"Thanks for going out with me," she said quietly. Her face turned a little to the right, her smile slightly withdrawn, "and sorry about the bento earlier on."

Makoto returned her smile. "Don't worry about it," he replied. He looked up and scratched his right cheek with his forefinger. "and... thanks for going out with me too. I really enjoyed myself."

His heart suddenly stopped for a moment, for he was clueless as of what to do next. A date was ordinarily finalised with a kiss... or a hug... or at least some gesture of a romantic notion. He was trapped between a dilemma and an ocean of mind boggling questions. Perhaps... if he made a movement, then she would make a movement too... and then hopefully something pleasant would come out of it.

He leaned forward.

Kotonoha reacted, but it was not a reaction Makoto anticipated. The lavender haired girl took a short step back, frightened that everything was happening too fast for her. Unbeknownst to Makoto, the sliding doors closed, which caused him to comically smack his nose on the glass. Ungluing himself, Makoto looked across the window. The last thing he saw was a worried Kotonoha, before the train whizzed off to its next destination.

* * *

…

…

Despite the crowds of people, the remainder of the train ride felt empty.

It was late in the evening, and dark enough for the street lights to illuminate his journey back to his apartment.

Makoto had a lot of think about when he returned to his bedroom. He could punch himself for making such a callous decision. The date with Kotonoha was bumpy at first, but the longer they progressed, the more it sailed into a soother motion. And he ruined it all with a single mistake.

Though surrounded by video consoles, books and other sources of entertainment, Makoto did nothing except lay on his bed and stare at the ceiling. His heart began to ache. First thing Monday morning, his first and foremost objective would be to apologise to her. He only hoped Kotonoha was able to forgive him for his silly behaviour.

On top of his work desk, a merry but abrupt melody was heard from his cellphone, blinking twice with a yellow light. Highly curious, Makoto grabbed the phone, wondering who would message him at this hour. His enthusiasm quickly diminished however, when he revealed it was a notice from his mother, stating she will not be back until half eleven. He sighed. He knew his mother was an extremely hard worker, and had grown accustomed to his single lifestyle at home.

Makoto readied himself for sleep, casting his casual clothes aside and replacing them with his pajamas. Though still depressed about the current situation, he realised nothing good would come out of it if he continued feeling sorry for himself. Hopefully he would feel more refreshed and revitalised come Sunday morning, and perhaps his mind will be cleared of most of his anxiety.

He was about to turn off the bedroom light when he heard his cellphone for a second time, five minutes after the first one. Makoto frowned and flicked it open again.

He could scarcely believe the words displayed in front of his amazed eyes. His heart pounded with a blistering speed.

...

_To: Makoto Itou_

_From: Kotonoha Katsura_

_I really enjoyed the date. Looking forward to seeing you again. :)_

…

**End of Chapter Two: Innocence**

* * *

**Author: **It took a while, but chapter two is finally completed! It's been a very long time since I have actually started writing again, so it does feel good to be back on track with a fresh new story. Being a fan of the anime, manga and game for so long, I only wished I had thought about making a proper School Days fanfic sooner.

On a side note, in case anyone is wondering why chapter one and two are listed as one and two, and not 'Love Letter' and 'Innocence', it's because some of my future titles would be enough to give away whole chapters, and I don't want people to read them knowing exactly what is going to happen.

Thanks for the reviews and I hope to hear from you all again soon.

~Rdz


	3. Chapter 3

When one becomes accustomed with their lifestyle, it becomes a routine, a cycle, a path with no end, only repeat. For a while, Makoto had grown familiar with his lifestyle, to the point where the sights and surroundings were vanilla, and at times, monotonous. There were elements of interest, true, but they hardly threw the cycle off balance; they just served as subtle occurrences, minor twists to the otherwise plain road.

It was only last week had his lifestyle sharply detoured from the ordinary, where his cycle was suddenly shrouded with wonder, mystery, fear and excitement. Theoretically speaking, it was no longer a cycle; it was a rotating maze that expanded with every passing day. All because of a single confession. All because of a single girl.

"Wait! Please wait!"

Makoto watched in slow motion, as Kotonoha, the breaker of the cycle, leapt onto the train with sublime grace, her face showing wide-eyed desperation and her hair still animated from the windy outside world whence she left from. Upon making her arrival, Kotonoha realised she had a small audience, which thankfully for her, died down shortly afterwards. She then instinctively locked eyes with Makoto, who was standing up, holding the transport handle as usual. For quite the duration, Makoto's eyes remained fixated on her as well. Then, the two of them realised the consequences of their actions if they continued staring at each other; they were not the only Sakakino students who boarded this train. Though difficult, Kotonoha promptly regarded the short haired person in front of her as a stranger. She whisked herself to the right and found a seat that was out of Makoto's vision.

To keep this secret hidden from the world; it was a testament of emotional fortitude for the both of them.

…

…

* * *

Being five minutes early for class, Makoto took this opportunity to get all of his belongings ready. With everything he required being laid out before him, he reached for his cellphone and flicked it open. Already he was missing her, and the stagnant picture, though still a treasured artefact, now only served as a small consolidation; nothing compared to the real girl. The number of school locations where only the two of them could meet up were very limited. Furthermore, Makoto learned from Kotonoha that she was the representative of her class; she had a lot of work to do, which often hampered any time she would ordinarily have available. It was all rather disheartening; to be in the same school together, and yet be so far away.

Mind elsewhere, Makoto was rudely awakened when a chin delicately plopped on top of his right shoulder.

"Whoa! She's cute! Who is she?"

Makoto smiled warmly.

"Her? She's Katsura. She's from our neighbouring class."

Realisation was the one thousand cold needles piercing through his skull. If Makoto was midway through slurping a drink carton, then he surely would have spluttered of all its contents over his desk. Instead, Makoto settled for the next worse action. He toppled backwards from his chair, making an almighty crash when he fell.

"Saionji!?" he gasped, and rose quickly to his feet, in spite of his embarrassing actions.

Sekai placed her hands on her hips, a mock huffing sound escaping her lips.

"Well it's nice to see you too sir!" she greeted, in a playfully sarcastic sort of way, "Honestly! I've been sick all last week, and that's all you have to say? Didn't you miss little old me?"

Makoto fumbled for a bit before somewhat composing himself.

"Hmph! Not really," he muttered, closing his eyes whilst adjusting his tie, "as a manner of speaking, I found the silence to be really peaceful! In fact, I recommend you should take more time off!"

He opened one eye. Any second now and Sekai will unleash her retaliation, but Makoto was prepared, prepared for anything she might throw at him.

"So who is this Katsura girl?" Sekai asked.

Makoto froze. This… was supposed to be the secret of all secrets, and he had practically handed everything on a plate to his classmate, side-dish and wings included. Thank goodness nobody else was in earshot of the two chatterbox students.

"H-How did you know her name!?" he stammered.

"Because you told me," she replied flatly.

Makoto had a look of horror on his face. Before he could think of a witty or witless comeback, the teacher had already stepped into the classroom. He told the two students at the back to sit down, to which Sekai and Makoto did simultaneously.

…

* * *

The large, circular clock on the wall ticked dully with every elapsing second. The teacher droned on about his specialised subject whilst many of the students reluctantly took notes down from the chalkboard. The rebellious remainder hid behind their text books and tried to sleep for about ten to twenty minutes. World History, Mondays and droning teachers were the important ingredients for a dismal opening school lesson.

Makoto glimpsed over his shoulder, noting the silent look belonging to his neighbouring classmate. Though Sekai was a bit of a mischief maker, she did appear to take on a more serious role when it came to studying. With her ocean eyes locked in concentration, Makoto took this moment to examine more of her features. Sekai was a few inches shyer compared to Makoto's height. Her hazel painted hair reached to her neck in length, some of which she expertly used to tie together from the back, forming a short tail without the use of hairbands or other accessories. In addition to her tail, she also had a rogue strand of hair which curved slightly near the tip; like a singular antennae, if that made any sense. Some on the girls reckoned this antennae served to accelerate her cuteness, but Makoto thought it made her look kind of daft. Her 'assets' so to speak, were neither too big nor they were too small. Considering her height, some girls would regard them as the perfect size. In conclusion, Sekai was a cute and bubbly person with an attractive appearance to boot; a killer combination which virtually any guy would fall for.

Out of nowhere, a piece of paper gently slid towards Makoto's side of view. With mild confusion, Makoto peered into Sekai's written note.

_So about that picture of the girl. I take it you have heard about the phone charm as well?_

Makoto joined his eyebrows together after finishing his reading. What in the world was she talking about? Phone charm? Was she referring to those toy trinkets that were attached to one's cellphone? No, wait a second; she was referring to the picture of Kotonoha. Pen in hand, Makoto tore out some paper from his notepad, and answered Sekai's question with a question of his own.

_What are you talking about?_

Some more scribbling later and Sekai returned with another piece of written paper. Makoto slouched in boredom; apparently, earning a qualification in World History was less important than having a hand written conversation with Sekai.

_Oh come on! Haven't you heard about the phone charm? Everyone has heard about the legendary phone charm!_

Obviously being the only one left out of the loop, Makoto asked in pen to paper format what was this 'legendary' phone charm was all about. Sekai swiftly jotted down her reply.

_Well rumour has it that, if you hide a picture of your crush on your cellphone for three weeks, then your love will definitely and positively triumph!_

Makoto sighed. Of course, it was just another fabled rumour which probably began by a girl, who decided one day to conjure something entirely radical, and then force feed other gullible girls to believe this inane drivel. If this phone charm truly was the real deal, then Makoto's phone charm would have failed, for it would have only lasted one week before Sekai finding out. Naturally, that did not faze Makoto at all, for he and the picture on the phone were already dating. Phone charm indeed. What utter nonsense.

The short haired boy watched as another piece of paper came into his sight.

_So why do you have a picture of her anyway?_

To which Makoto replied with:

_Well it certainly has nothing to do with the phone charm. I just took a picture of her because I like her._

With a grin that could rival The Cheshire Cat, Sekai issued him the next message.

_Oh I see! You just needed something to satisfy your right hand and your hotdog!_

"THAT'S NOT TRUE AT ALL!"

The teacher abruptly ceased his writing on the board, as did the piece of chalk which broke in two pieces. The man was already born with a short temper, so it was deemed not a good sign when he turned crimson from the neck up.

"ITOU! SIT DOWN AND BE QUIET THIS INSTANT!" the teacher thundered.

Makoto gulped like a frightened child. "Y-Yes sir! Forgive me!" he pleaded, before plummeting back to his chair.

Though covering her mouth with both hands, one could easily tell Sekai was snickering ecstatically because of the way her cheekbones had lifted. Seeing Makoto's swift mood change from angry to apologetic almost rectified her one week of absence.

Makoto was still fuming on the inside, but knew better than to invoke the wrath of the teacher again. Instead, he channelled his rage into his pen, writing angrily on a fresh sheet before shoving the finalised project under Sekai's nose.

_Look! We're already going out, okay? We had a date on Saturday!_

He crossed his arms and tilted his nose towards the ceiling.

With arms still crossed, he looked at Sekai's next message. This one irked him.

_WHAT? That's a lie!_

_IT'S NO LIE! _Makoto wrote back.

Sekai was unconvinced.

_Then prove it!_

"_So it has come down to this," _Makoto thought grimly. In a way, he did not want to spill all of Kotonoha's identity into Sekai's cup of knowledge, but the girl was pestering him to a point where he found it hard to endure anymore. _"Okay Saionji, you asked for it!"_

Sekai drummed her fingers as she waited and waited for the next message, curiosity growing with every delayed second. At last, everything Makoto was thinking about was presented to her.

…

_Well, for starters, I know she likes reading a lot. Nearly every day on the train, I always see her reading something. I know she doesn't look it, but she's into horror films and novels. She's very reserved, and she's the class representative as well. And she likes strawberry ice-cream._

…

Not bothering to check the look on Sekai's face, Makoto focused his attention towards of the remainder of the lesson. He was still troubled however, troubled that, ultimately, Sekai had found out the truth. Some minutes passed by. Weird, he thought, Sekai should have replied with a note by now. A little surprised, Makoto decided to write another message. He passed it cautiously to the now strangely quiet girl.

_Please keep it a secret. You're the only person at school who knows about this._

There was a pause before Sekai, at last, replied with a concluding note.

_Okay! Your secret is safe with me! Meet me at the astronomy club room during the lunch hour!_

It came to no shock that Makoto had a stupefied look on his face.

"_What is that girl planning?" _he thought worryingly.

…

…

* * *

The lesson before lunch break was Physical Education, a double lesson where Makoto's class and Kotonoha's class were combined together. Whilst the girls were performing a series of keep-fit exercises, the boys were split into numerous teams and made to play Soccer with each other. As he shifted near the defending area of the pitch, Makoto managed to locate Kotonoha; she was quite far away and was seated on some hilly grass, her arms wrapped around her knees. Sekai was sitting next to her as well, much to his alarm, and it looked like the two of them were having a friendly conversation, though Sekai was doing most of the talking.

"High ball!"

Makoto frowned. He hoped Sekai was not making her feel uneasy. Although there was no chance of hearing their voices, it sure appeared like a lengthy discussion.

"Defender! Clear the shot!"

He smiled dreamily. Even a simple P.E outfit looked amazing on Kotonoha; the white top superbly highlighting her rounded assets; the bright red shorts obliging her mesmerising, porcelain legs.

"Itou!"

A meteorite dressed deceptively as a soccer ball ploughed mercilessly into Makoto's forehead, rewarding him with a red mark and a dirt stain on the said area. With his mind aloof, he put up no resistance with the impact and fell backwards onto the grass. Taisuke then jogged to where he laid and towered over him, temporarily obscuring his vision of Kotonoha and Sekai. Taisuke grinned, showing all of his gleaming white teeth whilst rubbing the back of his head.

"Sorry about that!" he exclaimed, "Belted that one a little too high!"

"A little too high?" a fellow classmate stated, "I thought that shot was going to the moon!"

Makoto returned to his feet, ignoring Taisuke and the surrounding laughter on the pitch. He took another glance at Kotonoha and Sekai. Whatever they were talking about, it was going on for quite some time.

…

* * *

_Meet me at the astronomy club room during the lunch hour!_

Cleaning himself up and changing back to his regular uniform, Makoto wandered into various areas of the school. Sekai telling him to meet her at a certain location was all fine and well, but it would have helped Makoto even more if the girl actually gave him directions to this particular destination. Thinking about it some more, it all seemed very peculiar. What was the reasoning behind all of this in the first place? Was Sekai a member of the astronomy club? Even so… why should he care?

Milling around for a while, Makoto found a flight of stairs and decided to ascend them until he reached a small, unexplored area. A shiver of ice ran down his body. The area almost felt… secluded, as if separated from the rest of the school. Ahead of him was a large, bulky door.

"Is… this the place?" he quietly asked himself.

He tried the handle slowly, but the door stubbornly refused him entry. Cautiously he decided to knock to see if anyone was there. Almost immediately, Makoto was rewarded with a voice, muffled from the other side, but instantly recognisable.

"Itou? Is that you?" called out Sekai.

"Yeah it's me!" Makoto replied, distressed at having to go through this stupid ordeal.

There was a patter of footsteps, followed by a single click as Sekai unlocked the door. She pulled the door open, and Makoto was introduced to a wave of fresh air. The wind was not cold by any means, but it was more than enough to give Makoto a sudden awakening. Contemplating the situation, he began to feel a bit silly. It made a lot of sense, for there was only one ideal place in the school where one would gaze at the stars…

It was Makoto's first time setting foot on the rooftop, and it was a refreshing change of scenery to say the least. The roof top was spacious, and protected with fencing and greyish-blue banister rails. Eight or so steps ahead of Makoto were two white benches, one of which was occupied by an all too familiar looking girl.

"Ka… Katsura!" Makoto panicked.

Kotonoha did not appear as alarmed as Makoto, since Sekai had already explained everything to her. Even so, it had been a while since the boy and girl had properly seen one another.

"Itou-kun, good afternoon," Kotonoha said, trying to overlap her nervousness with some bravery, "Saionji-san has already informed me of the situation-"

Makoto quickly got down on both knees and clasped his hands around hers; it almost looked like the makings of a life-or-death marriage proposal. All of the cells inside him were jumping wildly.

"She didn't say anything weird did she!?" he half-shouted, already expecting the worst of the worst.

Before Kotonoha even attempted a reply, Makoto was the victim of a headlock ambush.

"Oh? So it's like that is it?" Sekai scoffed, pulling Makoto back with her tenacious hold, "Here's me, going to all of this trouble to find a secret hideout, and all you got to say is: 'she didn't say anything weird did she'!? Talk about ingratitude!"

"S-Secret hideout?" Makoto choked and wheezed.

"Mm!" Sekai affirmed with an eyesmile. She unconsciously released the hold, and Makoto collapsed into an untidy heap. "Your cute girlfriend didn't want the whole school knowing about you two, so naturally the great Sekai Saionji assembled a special hideout, where the two of you can safely enjoy each other's company!"

"But won't other people know?" Makoto asked, still trying to soak in everything that has transpired, "Surely there are other members that belong to the astronomy club?"

Sekai wagged a forefinger in the air, almost as if she were expecting Makoto to ask something along those lines. "Ah, but that's the beauty of it! Due to a lack of members participating last year, the school head decided to cancel the club altogether! The astronomy club doesn't exist anyone, meaning this place is free and up for grabs!"

Makoto made a confused face; he had this impression Sekai was only telling him part of the story. "But… how did you manage to have possession of this place?"

"Oh come on, come on!" Sekai said, pushing Makoto to the spare seat next to Kotonoha, "Don't worry about all the little details! I have everything under control!"

Finding himself guided forward by the ever so persistent hazel-haired girl, Makoto noticed the awkward eyesmile emitting from Kotonoha's features. He made a mental note to properly apologise to Kotonoha later; he promised to never tell anyone about their togetherness, and because he let his guard down for a split-second, this was the resulting situation. It was true what they say: two's company and three's a crowd. All it would take was Sekai to tell somebody else, and this whole drama would formulate into widespread mayhem. Makoto wondered if Kotonoha was feeling the same way; if she did then she was concealing this feeling exceptionally well.

…

* * *

The cloudless sky was a vivid blue, and the air, despite emitting a noticeable chill now, was nonetheless refreshing enough for one, or indeed three to experience this unforeseen afternoon.

Sekai, Makoto and Kotonoha were united as one, as they all sat together on the rightmost bench. It was appropriate that they were having sandwiches for lunch, for Makoto was sandwiched himself between two of the most gorgeous girls in Sakakino Academy. For Kotonoha's sake, Makoto tried to be on his best behaviour. Makoto hoped that Sekai would be on her best behaviour as well.

"Thanks for the sandwich Katsura-san!" Sekai beamed, holding the white triangular bread in her hand. Inside was a simple mixture of butter, mature cheese and lettuce, an all-round healthy and colourful arrangement. "Mm-mm! These look yummy, yummy, yummy!"

Kotonoha leaned forward to partially converse with the girl. She already made enough sandwiches in case she and Makoto had run into each other by chance; certainly fate had intervened with this foresight. "Ah, y-you're welcome. I have already made plenty, so help yourself if you need any more."

Makoto's hands trembled violently, like a deranged washing machine, ready to explode all of its clothing. He was holding a sandwich identical to Sekai; same bread, same ingredients inside. He shuddered and recollected the time when he had his first date with Kotonoha. Lots of interesting things happened that day, but eating her food for the first time was by far one of the most memorable – for all of the wrong reasons. Kotonoha noticed his wild expression and reflected on the date as well. The food she made was dreadful that time, but she worked a lot harder since then, diligently as a matter of fact. She clenched both of her fists. These sandwiches were guaranteed to be one, no… two-hundred-percent better than her previous failed attempt.

"Hey, are you alright?" Sekai asked Makoto with concern.

Makoto held his breath for a while, before deflating dramatically. He then masked his deep-seated fear and faced Sekai with a false eyesmile. "Mm! Of course I'm alright!"

Sekai shrugged and figured maybe Makoto was still worried at having his secret revealed. For the time being, she put her thoughts on hold. Her stomach demanded satisfaction, and that satisfaction would only be achieved from sampling that tasty edible in her grasp.

"Well then, itadakimasu!" Sekai chirped, plunging the sandwich into her happy mouth.

"Itadakimasu," Makoto mimicked, minus the excitement of his classmate. He cautiously took a bite, hoping his last encounter with Kotonoha's food was nothing but a bad dream.

Makoto and Sekai paused for a while as their taste buds evaluated what had just been delivered to them. Much to Kotonoha's, as well as their own alarm, their cheeks inflated, and their faces changed into a distinct fiery colour.

"AAARGGH! TOO HOT! TOO HOT!" they both yelled, or tried to yell since some of the food was still in their mouths.

The boy in the middle frantically emptied his school bag; books, stationary and other bits and pieces fell out as he tipped the bag upside-down. A plastic flask of water was the last of his belongings to be spilled out, and both he and Sekai eyed the flask as though it was crafted from pure gold. Makoto seized the flask from the ground and guzzled the water until half of it remained. Sekai then swiped the flask and emptied the rest into her much awaiting lips.

"What was wrong!?" Kotonoha panicked, almost shrieking in her voice.

As the water dispelled the burning within his throat, Makoto took a deep sigh of relief, before rubbing the side of his head and properly facing Kotonoha.

"K…Katsura," he tried, "I don't mean to sound rude… but I think you got the butter mixed up with the mustard…"

The poor chef-in-training clasped her hands on her face, feeling entirely guilty for her shameful mistake. "Oh no! That is the second time that has happened to me! I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!"

Sekai stared into the sky in utter disbelief. Her thought of the day was: how on earth could anybody get butter and mustard the wrong way round!? Unless she was living in some kind of pseudo-crazy-alternative reality, butter was normally displayed in a wrapped, small cuboid shape, whereas mustard was normally displayed inside a small glass jar. If that was not enough of a clue, one would be labelled 'butter', and the other labelled 'mustard'.

"_Wait… second time…?" _Sekai later thought whilst panicking.

Kotonoha sighed, still upset with herself. "I made so many sandwiches as well… what a waste."

Makoto mashed his lips together, a twisted determination entering his features. Suddenly he became alive, fireworks of rejuvenation exploding inside his body and mind. His hands flew wildly, grabbing and stuffing handfuls of Kotonoha's sandwiches. Kotonoha and Sekai flung their necks back, recoiling at the creature possessing Makoto Itou.

"That's very true! (munch) Katsura-san made so many! (scoff) I would hate to (munch-munch) see Katsura-san's effort come to waste!"

A bundle of flavours entered his mouth: savoury, sweet, bitter and spicy, all rolled up into one inglorious experience. The two girls watched him scarf the lot down in record-breaking time. Makoto did it. He accomplished the impossible. Kotonoha will no longer worry about the large remainder of food left in her bento.

"Itou-kun! You didn't have to do that!" exclaimed Kotonoha.

The boy, filled to the brim with sandwiches, looked straight ahead, a silly chuckle escaping his lips.

"Heh heh… is it just me… or does the sky appear to be… fading?"

He then fell off the bench and flat on his face, surrendering himself to unconsciousness.

"Oh crap! We need the infirmary!" panicked Sekai.

"Aaah! Itou-kun! Hang in there! Please don't die!" said a terrified Kotonoha.

…

…

* * *

…

…

Ever since that momentous day, the three Sakakino students spent the duration of their lunch breaks on the rooftop, the Astronomy Club that never existed. Makoto was sceptical at first, but as the days sailed by, he felt more at ease with himself. The rooftop really did feel like a secret hideout. No other students, no teachers, nobody had ever appeared to set foot on this area before; were they even aware of this estranged location? More importantly though, he learned that Sekai was not only a friend, but a trustworthy friend. Sekai was true to her word; after finding out his secret, she had told not a single soul, which Makoto was eternally grateful for.

Kotonoha was naturally nervous when Sekai promptly introduced herself during the P.E period, but in the end, she openly accepted her bubbly nature. In all honesty, Kotonoha was delighted at these turn of events, as well as how quickly the two of them became friends. From a tender young age to teenage-hood, she always found it difficult to make friends. She was very uncomfortable around boys, and still was, now that they were at the stage where they were developing hormones and other lustful characteristics. When it came to the same gender, Kotonoha did not fare so well in that department either; before she could summon any courage, the girls had already formed themselves into groups, and Kotonoha was alienated as a result. Now she had Makoto and Sekai, and although Kotonoha had hidden her persona rather well, deep down she felt wonderful. She had two friends, and that was more than enough to send her to the ninth cloud.

Makoto and Kotonoha were ever thankful for Sekai's interjection. Thanks to Sekai, now they have a place where they would properly enjoy each other's company.

…

…

* * *

…

…

Sekai opened the door and entered her apartment, closing and locking the door behind her. She tiredly announced that she was home, before hooking up her jacket and bag on one of the coat hangers. Kicking her shoes off so they were placed near the door mat, the teenage girl strolled into the kitchen, guided by the aroma of her mother's superb home-cooking.

"Sekai-chan, nice timing!" mother chirped, her voice drowned slightly by the sound of sizzling vegetables and sliced chicken inside the frying pan. She spun round to face her daughter. "Our dinner is nearly ready!"

Her daughter's stomach reacted to the fried food, making all sorts of gurgling noises. "That's great; I'm so hungry I could – ugh!"

Sekai's vision darted towards her mother. It was a sight so disbelieving, she could not pull her eyes away. Youko Saionji was the only family Sekai had. Whilst airheaded at times, she was very dedicated to her job and as a loving parent. Her light brown hair was slightly longer than her daughter's; it was tied up towards the end with a piece of pink ribbon. She also had blue eyes as well, which showed signs of fatigue, likely from pushing herself too hard at her workplace. She appeared to be very young for a mother; her face and figure could easily read mid-twenties, or close to thirty at a stretch.

The reason why Sekai suddenly uttered the word 'ugh' was because of the unorthodox choice of her mother's wardrobe. Youko would once in a while embark on her free spirit, a countermeasure for her accumulated stressful days at work. This free spirit would involve her changing into sexier outfits, or even partake in cosplay activities; it certainly made her feel more alive than wearing her usual dull jumper and trousers routine. This evening, Youko opted to wear her old summer school uniform, the same one she wore when she was seventeen years of age. It looked very tight on her. Her white top, which exposed her midriff, was very body-hugging, specifically around the chest department. Her blue skirt served to further accommodate her sexy figure, though now, it was short enough to pose as a belt.

The frightening part was that Sekai did not look all that too shocked. Youko's appearance definitely caught her off guard, but she had grown used to her antics by now. The only thing Sekai was worried about was that she might develop some of her mother's traits when she would reach her age.

"This is so wrong," Sekai muttered, glancing to one side.

"Hmm?" her mother taunted, giving her daughter a teasing twirl, "Do you find your sexy mother too much to handle?"

Sekai lowered her shoulders. "Just try not to catch a cold."

Youko returned to make the final touches on the food. "Yes my dear, I will try not to my dear."

* * *

Sekai thanked the heavens that mother's sense of cooking was nowhere near as bad as her sense of clothing. As they tucked into their meals, they talked about what they did during the day; Youko, most of the time, would complain about her boss, and Sekai would just chat about her friends, and all the stuff they would get up to. They undoubtedly had a lot of chemistry together, and it was almost like they had a sister type relationship instead of a mother-daughter one.

Not a single crumb was left on her plate when Sekai finished her meal; she washed her own plate and cutlery before heading off into her bedroom. The apartment was a small and simple construction, but her room was built well enough to withstand out most of the noise outside. Sekai enjoyed being with her friends at school, but here, she felt like she could properly relax, settle herself down and get on with her life. Homework was in short supply this time, so Sekai made sure to get it done as soon as possible; then she might decide to engage in a cellphone conversation with one of her friends.

She was three quarters completing her essay when her mother waltzed in, recalling an activity she partook on her way from work.

"Oh yes, I forgot to tell you! In the city, I decided to have a go at one of those raffle events and… ta-da!"

Youko flashed her daughter a pair of cinema tickets. Sekai was stunned at first, but when she properly inspected each ticket, she noticed the print on them. They were tickets for those 200 yen theatres; very cheap, but minus all of the thrills.

"I won ninth place!" she cheered, perhaps a little too optimistically for Sekai's liking. "So… I was wondering, perhaps you would like to take them, and maybe invite a friend with you?"

Sekai faced her mother and gave her a narrow-eyed look. "I doubt any of my friends will be interested in watching an old film."

Her mother shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh well, maybe I'll invite that attractive young man at work…"

"Wait!" Sekai interrupted, whisking the tickets away from her mother's grasp. An idea formulated in her mind. "Actually, these might come in handy after all! Thanks Okaasan!"

Mother could only pout at her daughter's decision. "Aww! And I could have invited a boyfriend over…"

"Hey, didn't you treat me to those tickets in the first place?" Sekai reminded her.

…

…

* * *

…

…

The pupils in his eyes danced in all directions, hypnotised by the two dangling pieces of paper in front of him. Whilst he was seated, the girl in front of him stood up in a triumphant pose; being the puppet master had never felt so good.

"Movie tickets?" he asked, blinking twice.

Sekai nodded, and joined him closely on the white bench. "Yep! I won them in a raffle event! I know they're only for those 200 yen theatres, but that's the beauty of it! The two of you will be alone, together, watching a romantic… uh, zombie-action-thriller!"

Makoto placed his hands together and made a prayer. In reality, he could have just purchased those type of tickets anywhere, anytime, and invited Kotonoha to go out with him again, but he would never had thought of this suggestion in the first place if it wasn't for Sekai.

"That's not a bad idea," Makoto admitted.

"It's an extremely good idea!" Sekai encouraged, "Think about it! This will boost your relationship level to the stars and beyond!"

The teenage boy watched, dumbfounded, as Sekai gently placed the tickets into the palm of his hand. His eyes gazed into the clouds.

"Thanks," he said with modesty, "first you find a secret location for me and Katsura, and now you give me these tickets as well. I… really don't know what to say…"

Sekai beamed a grin that stretched from ear to ear. She lifted a forefinger to the sky. "Well, what do you expect? I am Sekai after all; a world of knowledge, a world of support and a world filled with care!"

Makoto chuckled a little at Sekai's extravagant outburst. "You really like your own name don't you?"

"But of course!" she replied, "It's the greatest name in the world!"

Makoto closed his eyes, momentarily forgetting about time and reality.

"Hmm… I think I know why your mother named you Sekai."

The girl, faintly bemused, stopped leaning from the bench. "You do?"

"Yeah," he responded softly, "it might be because your mother thinks the world of you."

A gentle breeze emitted from the cool blue sky. The breeze was scarcely audible, and yet… judging from the absolute silence between them… it was the only noise audible. Makoto suddenly arched forward with an incredulous look on his face. He could not believe what he had just said; these words, which had somehow climbed from the underground of his vocal cord. He could only imagine the reaction painted on Sekai's face; he dared not face her, not after saying something so outlandish.

"Ah… um…"

Makoto's face reddened with the predicament he got himself into. He knew time waited for no human being, but now, right now, his only wish for today was to turn the clock back ten seconds.

"…S…Saionji-"

"Sekai."

He hesitantly turned to face her. It was only one word, but it sounded so sharp, so serious, and so abrupt. "Huh?"

"We're friends, aren't we?" she said, her words barely louder than a whisper. "Makoto?"

The boy nodded slowly. "…yeah."

In a single swift moment, Sekai flipped her legs to a vertical position, and made direct eye-contact with Makoto. By the look of her sudden bright smile, it appeared those ten seconds of awkwardness had never existed at all.

"Great! I'm going to head off to the cafeteria!" she stated, waving her friend goodbye before jogging back inside the school. Her voice faded from the distance she made. "I'm sure your girlfriend will arrive soon! Best of luck!"

Makoto could only watch as the door closed. The rooftop felt eerily soundless without Sekai.

* * *

Sekai was hurrying down the steps at such a pace that she almost collided into the girl ascending from them. She put on the brakes before their bodies would have surely crashed in a most embarrassing fashion.

"Saionji-san!" Kotonoha greeted, though it came out as more of a nervous reaction. "I'm sorry, I was-"

"Don't worry about it!" Sekai quickly interrupted. She thought up of something on the spot. "I just remembered I need to finish off some assignment in the library!"

Kotonoha looked at her with concern. "Oh… okay."

The hazel-haired girl gave her newest friend a cute, petit grin before leaving. "Well, better hurry along Katsura-san! Your boyfriend is patiently waiting for you!"

Boyfriend. She knew that when her date finally came to a conclusion, albeit an awkward one, some kind of relationship had blossomed between them. Her confession. The date. Earnestly wanting to see him afterwards. Yes, Kotonoha realised, she was confident enough to believe that Makoto and herself were in the beginning stages of becoming a couple. Oddly enough, it made her a little queasy inside, hearing that word being heard from Sekai's lips.

* * *

Sekai dashed to the bottom of the stairs, not pausing for breath as she then made a path to the ladies' lavatory. Along the way, a pair of slightly worried students looked at her, but Sekai did not care. Her mind was in a spin. She wanted to be alone, and faraway from everyone else. The day was over, as far as she was concerned.

The lavatory was empty, much to her relief, the five doors ahead of her all reading 'vacant'. She charged into the rightmost door and locked herself inside. She collapsed to her knees, breathing rapidly, breathing heavily.

"Makoto…" she panted, her hair overlapping her eyes.

…

**End of Chapter Three: Boy and Girl Meets World**

* * *

**Author: **At long last, Sekai is introduced and begins to inject a little bit of life into Kotonoha and Makoto. In the next chapter, the novice couple go on their second date, though Makoto is undecided on what they should watch.

Once again, I apologise for my lateness in uploading this chapter; the fourth one is already well on its way, as the ideas are finally starting to flow back in my head. See you again soon!


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